Dr. James Akazili

Dr James Akazili is a Senior Research Fellow and a Principal Health Research Officer at the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC). The NHRC is one of three strategically located health research centres of the Research and Development Division of the Ghana Health Service. Dr. Akazili is a Health Economist with over 20 years of research experience. He obtained concurrently his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a diploma in education at the University of Cape Coast in 1996. Subsequently he obtained his Masters and PhD in Health Economics from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 2000 and 2010 respectively. 

Dr. Akazili started his research career as a Fieldworker (data collector) with the first project (Vitamin A supplementation Trial) of the Navrongo Health Research Centre in 1989/90. He rose through the ranks and has become a key research fellow and a member of management of the centre. He is also a member of the Ethics Board of the centre. Dr. Akazili has worked on many projects at NHRC. These include but not limited to; the Community Health and Family Planning study which led to the current CHPS concept, Health Insurance and general health care financing among others. James has extensive experience in designing and implementing community-based survey research projects. He is currently coordinating the research component of the Ghana Essential Health Intervention (GEHIP) Project which is being funded by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation). The project seeks to reduce maternal and child mortality through strengthening the primary health care system. James is a recipient of a number of research grants from the WHO/TDR training grant, the Rockefeller Foundation, ADDRF, Ghana-Dutch among others, which he successfully executed. 

He is a member of the International Health Economics Association (iHEA), the Africa Health Economics Association (AfHEA), Health Economics and Policy Network (HEPNET) and the Ghana Health Economics and Policy Association (GHEPA). 

Dr. Akazili’s research interests include health care financing, health insurance, health equity and efficiency, general health systems strengthening and policy analysis. He has published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals.